In a previous blog I suggested a food and activity checklist to use when considering child-care providers. The idea must have caught on.

First Lady Michelle Obama has made fighting childhood obesity her mission and she's now extending it to our youngest citizens — infants and toddlers. The "Let's Move! Child Care" campaign calls on child-care providers to serve healthier foods and promote physical activity in their facilities.

As part of this effort, the First Lady released a checklist that providers and parents can use as a tool to encourage healthy eating and physical activity and limit screen time for young children. The checklist stresses five principles:

Physical activity: Provide one to two hours of physical activity throughout the day.

Screen time: No screen time for children under 2 years. Limit screen time for older children to no more than 30 minutes a week during child care.

Beverages: Provide access to water during meals and throughout the day, and don't serve sugar-sweetened drinks.

Infant feeding: Support mothers who want to breastfeed, either by providing their milk to their infants or breastfeeding during the child-care day.

So far, the Department of Defense, the General Services Administration and Bright Horizons have committed to follow these practices — a step that will positively affect approximately 280,000 children nationwide. What about you? Are you putting these principles into practice? How are you fighting childhood obesity? Share your successes and inspire us.

It's good to see something is being done about childhood obesity.
I admire Michelle Obama's mission and agree with her checklist, especially the beverages as I don't think people understand how bad sugary drinks (in particular fizzy drinks like Coke) can be to contributing the extra weight.
However, I feel maybe the screen time may be a bit hopeful as many rely too heavily on television to distract children.
I've recently written a blog post on the subject of Childhood obesity and would really value your opinion on the post.
http://demogr3thics.blogspot.co.uk/2014/01/the-future-of-tomorrowthe-xxxl.html

L.C - DemogrEthics Blogger

September 23, 2013 10:18 p.m.

As a preschool teacher I plan to get my children aware of healthy choices with food. Educate is the key to change the way the children eat. Help starts at home as well get the parents involved.

Lori

September 1, 2011 10:07 a.m.

child obistey is not good

brook

July 1, 2011 12:19 p.m.

There is much that can be done. Children so young do not go and buy there own food. That is a fact. Parents or guardians need to call a doctor or use other tools in order to prevent such absurd results from happening.

Jessica

June 30, 2011 9:18 a.m.

First of all, kids are fat for a reason...it doesn't just &quot;happen&quot;, and it's NOT normal.
Don't give kids soda, fruit juice (even though Katherine Zeratsky feels this is a good way to start a day--she's wrong). Both of these &quot;foods&quot; have loads of sugar.
And then at meal time, serve small portions--we (Americans) eat monstrous portions, I don't know why.
Stay away from chips, sugar, aspartame (nearly banned in Europe), and all other 'snack' foods.
You'll see a difference...simple math: burn more than you take in (calories). Not too complicated!!!

Peter in Austin

June 27, 2011 1:22 a.m.

To our children's health indeed.
One thing we're doing in my family is watching ABC's Extreme Makeover Weight Loss Edition together every Monday at 10.
As an obese man fighting to lose my own, Its important for my kids to see that people that are obese are fighting it from the time that they are young and that eating is not the answer. THis show deals with the emotional reasons that people eat as well as the physical weight itself. By watching this show together and keeping the topic of obesity an open and honest one, we're hoping to instill these long term values and ideals in our kids for their entire lives.

Mark

June 17, 2011 5:38 p.m.

There shouldn't be fat kids anyway!!growing up there was maybe one fat kid in my class!!when I was young I was constantly moving!I weighed 50 pounds all thru grade school!!and then in sixth grade I finally gained weight!!I'm 37 now five foot nine and a three year old child and I only weigh 130 pounds!!!I just don't get it!!

Legal Conditions and Terms

Reprint Permissions

A single copy of these materials may be reprinted for noncommercial personal use only. "Mayo," "Mayo Clinic," "MayoClinic.org," "Mayo Clinic Healthy Living," and the triple-shield Mayo Clinic logo are trademarks of Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research.